Frequently Asked Questions

Questions and Answers for Parents and Friends

What is the mission of Linwood Elementary School?

The mission of Linwood Elementary School is to provide resources and services that support a quality learning community where students meet and exceed state standards.

What are the school goals?

Identified Performance Goal # 1: Improve reading/language arts instruction in all classrooms for all students
Identified Performance Goal # 2: Improve writing instruction in all classrooms for all students
Identified Performance Goal # 3: Improve mathematics instruction in all classrooms for all students
Identified Performance Goal # 4: Improve science instruction in all classrooms for all students
Identified Performance Goal # 5: Improve social studies instruction in all classrooms for all students
Identified Performance Goal # 6: Improve parent and community partnerships

What is the Linwood School Council and its purpose?

It is a group composed of four parents, in which two are businesspersons, two teachers, and the principal. Its purpose is to bring parents and the community together with teachers and school administrators to create a better understanding of and mutual respect for each other’s concerns and to share ideas for school improvement. This group meets four times a year, and you are invited to attend. The meeting dates are posted on the monthly calendars your children will receive, in the Linwood Elementary Student Handbook and on the Linwood School Council webpage.

What is the Linwood Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and its purpose?

This is an organization composed of parents and teachers. The PTO helps the school with various activities such as Field Day, Fall Festival/Spring Fling, Teacher Appreciation Day, Superstars Celebration, etc. It also holds two fundraisers each year to raise funds for projects at the school. For example, monies from previous fundraisers have been used to paint a mural in the cafeteria and to update the school marquee. Read about the PTO at /schools/lwe/pto.html.

What can I do to help at Linwood Elementary School?

There are many ways to help. Possibilities include tutoring; volunteering in classrooms or the media center; going on field trips; assisting with Book Fairs, picture days, monthly Student Birthday parties, the Superstars Celebration, and/or Field Day; maintaining the Clothes Closet; contributing monies for the Family Assistance Fund; donating school supplies and clothing for the Clothes Closet, etc.

How may I become a Linwood Elementary volunteer?

You must attend a Volunteer Orientation and have a background check. Several Volunteer Orientations are done yearly. The dates are in the Linwood Elementary Student Handbook and reminders will be sent home with your child. If these dates are not convenient, you may contact the school counselor. She will set up an individual orientation for you. The forms for the background check are available in the school office. This is a Houston County Board of Education policy. Its purpose is to ensure the safety of all students. After a satisfactory background check is completed, you will be an approved volunteer. Once you have been approved as a volunteer, you do not have to repeat the process for several years.

Why are fundraisers necessary?

While we are supported by the Houston County Board of Education, and the state and federal governments, fundraisers are held so the school may do special things for students and teachers. Some of these include: Student Monthly Birthday Party, the Leopard Star Reception, Honor Roll/Honorable Mention, Million Minutes Reading Initiative, Character Education, purchasing coffee, various appreciation days for staff members, purchasing additional supplies needed for students that are not covered in state budget, projects to enhance the physical environment of the school and campus, etc.

I have heard that Linwood is a Title I school. What does that mean?

Linwood Elementary is in fact a Schoolwide Title I School. We qualify for this federal grant because our free and reduced student population is greater than 35%. This means that we receive additional monies from the federal government which are used to enhance instruction for students, provide parent involvement activities and provide professional learning for our staff. Also, through this grant, we may provide after-school tutorials & Saturday School for students with snacks furnished. We may provide snacks for our students in ASP (after-school day care program) as well.

May I see my child's grades online?

We do not have this capability for elementary students at the present time.

Who creates the school's schedule?

The school's leadership T.E.A.M. (Together Everyone Achieves More) and Better Seeking Team design the master schedule which includes lunch, special classes and instructional blocks for subject areas. The system establishes the days school is in session and the holiday schedule.

Why is attendance checked so carefully here at Linwood?

Attendance is checked carefully at all schools in Houston County. The system developed an attendance policy to encourage students to be present and on time each day to maximize their learning. Every minute counts in learning and instruction!

How can I give input to Linwood Elementary School?

You may contact the office staff or an administrator at any time to give input verbally. You may send written correspondence through letters or email. You may also ask to be added to the school council agenda to discuss ideas at the meetings.

May I visit my child's classroom?

You are welcome to visit your child's classroom. We request that you do so at a time that will not interrupt instructional time. Please contact your child's teacher to determine the best time to visit. Sometimes tests are being given, and your visit may impact the student's performance. Always remember that instructional time is not a time to have a conference with the teacher. You may schedule an appointment for conferencing when the students are not present. Eating lunch with your child is a wonderful time to visit your child and his/her class.

Does Linwood have field trips for the students?

Yes. Pre-K is encouraged to have one field trip monthly. Grades K - 5 are encouraged to take one field trip per year. Sometimes additional trips are scheduled by the school system.

Does Linwood Elementary have an after-school care program?

An after-school care program is available until 6:00 p.m. each school day. Parents must register their child, pay a registration fee and a weekly fee. Registration forms are available in the school office.

What holidays are celebrated at Linwood?

Holidays are celebrated at Linwood as outlined by the Houston County Board of Education Policy. We recognize diversity and celebrate in a manner that all students may participate.

How do I set up a visit or interview with a Linwood teacher or administrator?

Call the school office, and arrange a time for the visit or interview with the particular teacher or administrator. Or, you may write a note in the student's agenda requesting a visit or interview.

What extra-curricular activities for students are available at Linwood Elementary?

Our school offers several activities for students in Grades 3 -5. These include Student Council, Linwood Leaders, Chorus, Art Club, Around the World Club, Drama Club, Media Helpers, Junior Beta Club, and Mileage Club.

What is the ESOL Program?

ESOL stands for English Speakers of Other Languages. Linwood Elementary is a cluster site for four other elementary schools. If a student from a non-English speaking environment qualifies for services, he/she is bused to Linwood each day from his home school. The student is in regular education classes for the majority of the day. Additionally, he/she is served by our two ESOL teachers for a 50-minute segment daily either in an augmented or pull-out session.

Why is the Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) important? Why are certain grade levels required to pass?

The CRCT is the state of Georgia's criterion referenced test to determine how successfully the students are learning and how successfully the schools are teaching the state of Georgia curriculum. Student scores determine in part whether schools in Georgia make Adequate Yearly Progress as mandated by the No Child Left Behind federal law. On the elementary level the state has passed laws requiring students in Grade 3 to pass the reading portion and students in Grade 5 to pass the reading and math portions of the test in order to be promoted to the next grade.

How is Linwood doing in respect to No Child Left Behind?

Linwood Elementary has made AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) each year as mandated by the NCLB law.

What is AYP?

The federal law No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requires that Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) status be determined for schools, districts, and states. AYP status has three components: (1) showing 95% test participation in both reading/language arts and math; (2) achieving annual measurable objectives in both reading/language arts and math; and (3) meeting performance criteria on a second indicator that is related to academics (Houston County has selected attendance as the second indicator for elementary and middle schools.)

How does Linwood compare to other Houston County schools and the state in test results?

Linwood usually performs at or above the state average. It performs at or above the Houston County School System level in some areas and performs below in others. It continues to improve its scores each year. We invite you to visit our Data Room to see test comparisons over time.

How do we communicate with you?

Linwood makes it a priority to ensure that you know the dates of various school activities and that you have ways to communicate with the teacher. Each child is given an agenda upon enrollment in order to record homework, send notes to and from home, and record important reminder dates. We also have a school wide calendar that outlines all school-wide events in the back of our Linwood Student Handbook. Parents may call the school and leave a message for a teacher to call them back and answer any questions. Teachers cannot be called from class to talk on the phone. We do have to protect classroom instructional time. We have an automated phone system that calls all homes to remind you of special events, and we also send home reminder flyers each week close to the dates of each activity. Signed papers are sent home each Wednesday with a cover form indicating the number of graded pages you should receive. Our office staff and administrators are also available to answer questions for you throughout the day.

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